CRMS Analytical Teams, made up of agency and academic personnel, developed indices based on the suite of parameters available from the 2006 to 2009 CRMS dataset. Three indices have been developed: a floristic quality (FQI), hydrologic (HI), and submergence vulnerability (SVI), and a landscape index is currently being refined. Wetland vegetation, hydrology, and soils are undeniably interconnected and form the basis for ecological processes that ultimately influence future land change and the sustainability of coastal habitats. Although these indices have been developed using 4 years of baseline CRMS data, the indices will be refined to better define ecological relationships as the data set becomes more robust overtime.

Because no regulatory thresholds exist for the ecological parameters of interest, it was not possible to assess index scores based on previously defined values that would indicate an acceptable or unacceptable score. Therefore, for the FQI and the HI, assessments were made relative to a baseline distribution of the index scores derived from 2006 to 2009 data at CRMS sites across the Louisiana coast. Because ideal thresholds were not available for the FQI and HI, scores were classified as 'good' (green) if they exceeded the 75th percentile of index scores calculated for all CRMS sites during the baseline period, 'poor' (red) if they did not exceed the 25th percentile, or 'fair' (yellow) if they were intermediate to the 25th and 75th percentiles (Figure 1).

As shown in Figure 1A, FQI scores greater than 71% fall within the green "good" category while those less than 39% are within the red "poor" category. FQI scores between 39% and 71% are within the yellow "fair" category.

For the HI, index scores greater than 95% fall within the green "good" category while those less than 56% are within the red "poor" category. HI scores between 56% and 95% are within the yellow "fair" category (Figure 1B).

SVI scores are inversely related to flood frequency; sites with higher scores are flooded less frequenly, and sites with lower scores are flooded more often. Interpretation of the SVI is based on the assumption that wetlands situated at lower elevations within the hydrologic frame are more vulnerable to future changes in sea-level, and submergence, than wetlands situated at higher elevations. Therefore, scores in the upper end of the spectrum (>50) are more favorable or "good", whereas scores in the lower end of the spectrum (<50) are less favorable or "poor" (Figure 2).